This post is a paid promotion with Jet2holidays
With a little help from Jet2holidays I recently swapped gloomy London skies for 3 nights of sea views, pina coladas and infinity pools in Tenerife, living my best life sans emails and deadlines at one of Jet2holidays Guia de Isora destinations, Gran Melia Palacio de Isora. It was the perfect mini-break destination to escape the humdrum, relax and recharge, with extra perks at the adults only Red Level. I've put together a visual diary of the trip, from the gorgeous grounds to the (many) pools and indulgent meals, if you fancy a little escapism...
THE TRIP
With regular Jet2 flights from London Stansted, it was an easy 4 hour journey to arrive at Tenerife Airport, where the Jet2holidays Tenerife reps were awaiting us with transfer information. This was my first trip flying with Jet2 but I'd heard great things and was eager to try them, as an affordable option without forsaking the smiles. The service did not disappoint, with a dedicated host waiting to greet us with a welcome pack, and set us up with our transfer to the hotel. It was night when we arrived so it was such a relief to have someone ready and waiting, and not having to figure out shuttle buses or local transport when all we wanted was to slump into bed!
THE HOTEL
We arrived, bleary-eyed (after binge watching several episodes of Love Island...) and tired (why is doing nothing on a plane so exhausting?) to be welcomed in the exclusive Red Level lounge with hot towels and a glass of Cava. Pretty much the perfect reception if you ask me, as as Cava enthusiast myself. In our rooms we were greeted with a decadent carved chocolate shoe embellished with fresh fruits (oh, and a bottle of Cava. These guys really get me!).
The room itself was simple, but well stocked and spacious, overlooking a sweeping view of the grounds and ocean beyond. The best bit? The outdoor jucuzzi, which we utilised whilst drinking the aforementioned bottle of Cava and feeling completely, utterly blissed out. The hotel has a Clarins spa, and all the toiletries stocked in the bathrooms are Clarins too, so no need to worry about packing the entire contents of your bathroom cabinet or being stuck with one of those dodgy 3-in-1 gels.
THE FOOD
With countless restaurants and dining options nestled throughout the resort (I tried to count them, but we kept stumbling across new ones), there's plenty to keep your tummy happy without ever having to leave. Whilst I would love to recount each and every meal in minute detail (not being sarcastic - I'm a massive foodie and they were all memorable!), you'd probably lose interest pretty fast so I'll keep it sweet and simple.
For breakfast there's a heaving buffet with everything you could possibly want, from a Full English to pastries and doughnuts, or Red Level offers an exclusive breakfast with a smaller buffet of cold cuts and spanish tapas style dishes, as well as a menu with staples such as avocado on toast and eggs benedict. Both have their perks - the main buffet offers more choice, however the Red Level has sea views (and no children crying over spilt orange juice).
For lunch we tried the Oasis Pool Grille and Market Grill, both lighter options by the main infinity pool for gorgeous views and casual dining. The Market Grill was the winner with us for a light, affordable meal with plenty of snacky options including tacos and burgers.
We wanted to try something a bit fancier for our last night, so booked a table at Nami, the resident Asian restaurant. With subtle lighting, a smart casual dress code (Adam agonised for ages over whether he could wear 3/4 length trousers, fyi they're fine..) and a menu listed on iPads, it's a chic late night dining spot with a romantic ambience - the perfect spot for the final meal of our getaway. As for the food, it was a mix of dim sum small plates and bigger dishes - we loved the duck pancakes and dumplings.
ACTIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT
What's great about booking a package holiday is that everything is sorted within one booking, and with our Jet2holidays trip to Red Level at Gran Melia Palacio de Isora that even included all the entertainment we needed to keep busy without ever having to leave the resort. The hotel offers a lengthy list of daily activities and entertainment, from fitness classes to live music performances. I tried to convince Adam to get involved with football, while he tried to convince me to join a gym class, but in the end we compromised with the free wine tasting. It's meant to be a holiday after all, who wants to work out?
We turned up complete novices, but eager to try some local wines and maybe even learn something new. Our host introduced us to three wines - a red, white and cava - and helped us suss out some of the notes and understand the colouring and consistency. Turns out my nose is pretty awful (they all smell like grapes!), but I can confirm that they were tasty. Learning about wines rather than just vaguely drinking them is something I've put on my bucket list, so it was really interesting to have a bit of an intro (and realise that I have a looonng way to go before I'm a sommelier!).
THE POOLS
Leaving the best bit till last! Gran Melia Palacio de Isora is made up of a maze of pools for everyone, from the frenetic children's pool to the laidback Red Level adults only pool (there's a daily complimentary happy hour too!). The standout is undeniably the infinity pool, which is the biggest saltwater pool in a European hotel. It's pretty darn lengthy, but it's not a case of substance over style, with ocean views and chic daybeds at the edges to lounge on. Admittedly there was so much exploring to do that we didn't manage to check out each and every pool to write a completely unbiased review, but hey, that's an excuse to go back (as if I needed one)!
It was pretty hard to give up our little (okay, fairly big, we got lost a few times) Island paradise to head back to London when our time was up. We discussed barricading ourselves in with a bottle of Cava in the jacuzzi, and we were only half joking. But the beauty of a perfect moment is it's impermanence, so back to London it reluctantly was. However with affordable regular Jet2 flights to Tenerife, who knows how soon we'll be reunited with Cava and ocean views...
This would make a special event getaway. Worth making a note -thank you!